Survey shows surge in support for US leadership in foreign affairs

A new national survey shows nearly two-thirds of Americans want U.S. leaders to take a larger role in international engagement and foreign affairs, a sharp increase from the number of respondents who expressed that desire just two years ago.

Officials with the Ronald Reagan Institute’s periodic survey on national defense issues also found increases in the number of citizens who want U.S. leaders to stand up for human rights and democracy issues, and majority support for American participation in NATO.

The group’s annual summer survey , which polled more than 1,200 individuals, covers a host of national security issues, with a focus on U.S. leadership on the global stage.

The release comes amid uncertainty over U.S. military plans in the Middle East, and potential efforts to help Israel in its campaign against Iran. The poll, conducted before the start of hostilities, found that 84% of respondents supported the premise of keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

More broadly, 64% of respondents said they believe the United States should be more engaged in international issues. That’s up from 54% last summer and the highest mark since institute officials began polling on the question in 2019.

Researchers said most of that increase came from Republicans who now favor more American involvement abroad since the election of President Donald Trump, despite his public statements pushing for a less interventionist policy for the country.

About 93% of Republicans surveyed expressed a belief that “a strong U.S. military is essential for peace and prosperity,” compared to 80% of Democrats polled. But about 87% of Democrats said that America needs to “stand up for human rights and democracy” overseas, compared to 81% for Republicans.

The survey showed a shrinking but still significant minority of non-interventionists pushing for a smaller American role in international affairs.

Roughly 23% of individuals in the poll said they want to see the U.S. government less engaged in foreign issues, the smallest total since the poll began. One-third of individuals polled supported withdrawing from NATO, most on the Republican side.

About 7% of Americans interviewed for the report said they are hoping that Russia will win in its war against Ukraine, compared to 58% who said they hope Ukraine is victorious.

The full survey is available on the institute’s website .

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

一项新的全国性调查显示，近三分之二的美国人希望美国领导人在国际参与和外交事务中发挥更大的作用，这一比例较两年前大幅上升。

罗纳德·里根研究所定期对国防问题进行的调查也发现，希望美国领导人支持人权和民主问题的公民人数有所增加，而且大多数人支持美国参与北约。

该组织每年夏季进行的调查访问了 1200 多人，内容涵盖一系列国家安全问题，重点关注美国在全球舞台上的领导地位。

此次民调发布之际，正值美国在中东的军事计划以及可能协助以色列打击伊朗的行动充满不确定性之时。这项在冲突爆发前进行的民调显示，84%的受访者支持阻止伊朗发展核武器的立场。

更广泛地说，64%的受访者表示，他们认为美国应该更多地参与国际事务。这一比例高于去年夏天的54%，也是自该机构官员2019年开始就此问题进行民意调查以来的最高值。

研究人员表示，这一增长主要来自共和党人，自唐纳德·特朗普当选总统以来，他们现在更倾向于美国更多地参与海外事务，尽管特朗普曾公开表示要对美国采取较少干预的政策。

调查显示，约93%的共和党受访者认为“强大的美国军队对和平与繁荣至关重要”，而持相同观点的民主党受访者比例为80%。但约87%的民主党受访者表示，美国需要在海外“捍卫人权和民主”，而持相同观点的共和党受访者比例为81%。

调查显示，主张美国在国际事务中扮演较小角色的非干涉主义者人数虽然有所减少，但仍然是一个相当大的群体。

民调显示，约23%的受访者希望美国政府减少对外交事务的干预，这是该项民调开展以来的最低比例。三分之一的受访者支持退出北约，其中大部分是共和党人。

报告显示，约 7% 的受访美国人表示希望俄罗斯在对乌克兰的战争中获胜，而 58% 的受访美国人表示希望乌克兰取得胜利。

完整的调查报告可在该研究所的网站上查阅。

利奥为《军事时报》报道国会、退伍军人事务部和白宫的新闻。自2004年以来，他一直报道华盛顿特区的新闻，重点关注军人和退伍军人政策。他的作品荣获多项荣誉，包括2009年波尔克奖、2010年国家头条新闻奖、国际退伍军人协会新闻领导力奖和美国退伍军人协会新闻媒体奖。